Ghost House Revenge (21 page)

“Are you sure my mom’s okay?” Gina asked, concerned.

“That’s what your father said. He’ll be spending the night with her. Hey, start eating
this food before it gets cold.”

“I’m not hungry,” Kyle said.

“I sure am,” Alicen said.

Derek put out the pizza. “Please eat at least one slice,” he said. “What would your
father do to me if he came home and found you starved? I promise you, your mother’s
okay.”

“Then why does she have to stay in the hospital a few days?” Gina asked. “Why can’t
she come home now?”

“Because the doctors want to keep her under surveillance,” Derek said, not quite sure
how to handle this. “It’s just routine. Now, eat!”

He said that in such an authoritative way that the children obeyed, though they didn’t
taste their food. The room became silent, each person busy with his or her own thoughts.
Derek’s mind was filled with the sound of that voice over the
telephone that morning, the one telling him “Melanie goes today.” What did it mean?
That it was no accident that Melanie was in a hospital right now? Derek had thought
of phoning the police about the call—especially now that the threat had come true.
But having no idea where to find the woman who’d called him, he changed his mind.
It had to be coincidence, of course. Melanie was miles and miles away at the time
of the call. The woman named Janice didn’t know she was going to be in the city today.

Besides, the VanBurens had enough worries without him bringing up a new one. That
was why he decided to keep the call a secret. And it was also why he hadn’t yet brought
up Sarah’s ring. Even though he knew Alicen must have taken it when he passed out
last night (he tried not to think of it in any more detail than that), he didn’t want
to confront her in front of the children. But later . . .

Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by small, squeaking noises. He looked up
from his plate and saw Nancy’s shoulders quivering. He reached across the table and
patted her hair.

“Nancy, everything’s all right,” he said. “Your mommy’ll be home before the weekend.”

“I want my mommy now!” the little girl wailed. The word accident had frightened her
terribly, making her remember the accident that had hurt her father. Would her mother
be a cripple, too?

“Nancy, it’s just a
little
accident,” Gina said firmly, as if trying to convince herself. “Derek said mom was
fine—didn’t you, Derek?”

“I sure did,” Derek said, grateful that she was backing him, “And I wouldn’t lie to
you.”

He thought for a moment, trying to change the subject “Hey, guess what?” he said at
last.

“What?” Nancy asked, looking at him through tearful blue eyes.

“We’re having company tonight,” Derek said. “I called a friend of mine to come over
and help me out. Her name is Liza, and she loves kids. I think you’ll like her.”

Alicen’s eyes became wide. She put her glass of milk down and raised her head to glare
at her father. Liza? He had a girlfriend? But how could he do such a thing, when he
was supposed to love her mother?

Derek returned the glare with eyes that told Alicen she’d better not ask any questions.
Okay, so he had meant to
introduce Liza to her at a better time than this. But he needed last-minute help tonight,
not knowing how to handle a houseful of children. And it was his life; he wasn’t about
to let a thirteen-year-old run it.

“When’s Liza coming?” Kyle asked.

“Around seven,” Derek said. “She’s at school right now.”

“She goes to school?” Gina asked.

“Dance school,” Derek replied, still looking at his daughter. “She’ll tell you about
it when she gets here.”

Alicen finally dropped her gaze to her plate and finished her dinner. When the meal
was over, Derek sent the VanBuren children from the kitchen with the announcement
that he and Alicen would take care of cleaning up. He wanted to be alone with his
daughter.

He didn’t waste any time. “Did you take Sarah Kaufman’s ring?”

“Of course not!” Alicen cried. “Why?”

“I found it in your room last night,” Derek said. “So don’t deny having had it. I
was going to put it down here in the kitchen—to make it look as if Sarah had dropped
it here when she fell. I was trying to protect you, Alicen. And what do you do? You
steal the damned thing again!”

Alicen tore angrily at the empty pizza box and stuffed the pieces into the trash can.

“I didn’t take any old ring,” she insisted, remembering nothing.

“Alicen,” Derek said, forcing himself to be patient, “do you have any idea what would
happen to my job if the VanBurens learned you stole that ring?”

“I didn’t!” Alicen cried, tears welling in her eyes. “And I don’t care about your
dumb old job!”

Derek slammed a dish he was washing against the sink, breaking it. “You damned well
better care!” he shouted. “This job was a godsend for me, and you know it. Do you
want to go back to living in a roach-infested apartment again?”

Alicen was crying openly now, staring down at her feet. She was confused, not understanding
why her father was accusing her of this crime. She hadn’t done a thing.

“Look, all I ask is that you give it back,” Derek said. ‘I’ll mail it to Mayor Kaufman,
and no one will ever know where it came from.”

“I don’t have it,” Alicen blubbered.

“Liar!” Derek cried. His head was starting to hurt him, and he rubbed at the bruises
under his eyes. “This is a terrible
thing you did, Alicen. Give me back that ring, or so help me, I’ll—”

“Don’t you hit me!”

Derek drew his hand back. He had been so close to slapping her, hating her for all
her lies. But no, this wasn’t the way to handle her. And the other children didn’t
need to hear an argument What was the matter with him? Was he upset because of the
mysterious fall he’d taken the night before? Or was it because that crank caller had
predicted Melanie’s accident? So damned much had happened in the last two days.

“Alicen, you’re grounded until that ring shows up again,” Derek said. “God knows I’d
like to beat the hell out of you, but I can’t prove you’re guilty. I just hope your
conscience takes care of that. Now, get out of here. Go do your homework.”

Alicen threw her dish towel on the counter and stormed from the kitchen. How could
her father say such terrible things about her? She had never touched Sarah’s ring!
She heard Gina calling her from the playroom but ignored her and ran upstairs. In
her room she threw herself on the bed and started pounding the mattress.

“I hate him!” she seethed. “I hate him!”

The room was growing chilly, and she pulled the bed’s coverlet around her like a cocoon.
“I wish he was dead.”

Something was pressing against her back. Alicen rolled around and looked up. She heard
her name called, and she answered very softly. A moment later, a cloud, shaped like
a woman, appeared. Alicen’s trembling stopped immediately, and the room became very
quiet. Slowly she reached up. But no one took her hand.

“Why do you want your father to die?”

“I hate him,” Alicen said plainly. Under a spell, there was no emotion in her voice.
“He called me a liar.”

“It isn’t his time to die, you little fool!” the vision cried.

Alicen jerked away as if stunned by her mother’s angry words.

“I’m not ready yet for him,” the apparition said. “There are things that must be done
first. Melanie is still alive—but not for long. They’ll all go, one by one. They’ll
all die!”

“Mommy, why do they have to die?” Alicen asked. “I don’t under—”

The loud ringing of the doorbell downstairs shattered the spell like a sledgehammer
through glass. Alicen was alone again. She sat up, feeling as if she had just wakened
from a
deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes and went to her door, opening it. Voices from the
downstairs hallway were carried up to her room.

“Hi, Liza,” her father was saying. “Come on in.”

Alicen heard kissing noises, and her stomach turned.

“How’re you, darling?” Liza asked. “Where are the children?”

Alicen closed her door and missed the rest of the conversation. She prayed her father
wouldn’t make her come downstairs. But a moment later she heard his voice calling
her. Alicen thought of ignoring him but remembered his anger and left her room. She
walked slowly.

“What’s wrong with you?” Derek asked. “Get a move on!”

“Derek, let her be,” Liza said quietly.

Alicen stopped at the bottom step and rested a hand on the post. She stared at Liza
without speaking. In the soft light, she could see that this woman wasn’t at all like
her mother. Unlike Elaine, she had dark hair and eyes. And she was much taller than
Alicen remembered her mother being. How could her father like a woman who was so different?

“Hi, Alicen,” Liza said then.

“Hi,” Alicen said perfunctorily.

“Looks like a lot has happened in this house,” Liza said, making conversation. “Poor
Mrs. VanBuren had an accident, and your daddy fell. Would you like to tell me about
that?”

“No,” Alicen said plainly, staring at her.

Liza shrugged. “Okay. Then how about taking me around this house? It sure is pretty
from the outside, with those towers and the big porch in front. And look at all those
doors! What’s behind them?”

“I don’t know,” Alicen said. She turned her eyes to her father. “I have homework to
do.”

Derek sighed and put his arm around Liza’s shoulder. Alicen’s eyes narrowed. Her father
was doing this to spite her. Without waiting for permission, she turned and ran up
the stairs. Derek let her go, leading Liza into the kitchen.

“Derek, I hate to say this,” Liza commented, “but if looks could kill . . .”

“Alicen was very rude to you,” Derek said. “She’ll hear about that.”

“Oh, Derek, let it go,” Liza said. “I expected her to act that way. Any normal child
would! She probably thinks I’m trying to take her mother’s place.”

“That doesn’t give her an excuse to be impolite,” Derek
answered, filling the teapot. He set it on the stove, then turned around to Liza.
“It isn’t just that, anyway. Alicen’s being punished for stealing, and she’s angry
about it.”

“What did she steal?”

“A ring,” Derek said. He proceeded to explain everything to her, glad he had someone
he could trust with his terrible secret.

“Oh, Derek,” Liza said when he was finished. She reached across the table and took
his hand. “Maybe Alicen really doesn’t remember taking the ring. Maybe she’s upset
about something. Have you considered that?”

“There’s nothing wrong with her,” Derek insisted.

Something in his eyes told Liza he didn’t wish to discuss Alicen any further. So,
to get his mind off his troubles, she went to him and sat on his lap. Running her
fingers through his thick hair, she bent and kissed him passionately.

“I love you, Derek,” she said.

“And I love you, Liza,” Derek answered.

The phone began to ring.

“Ignore it,” Liza said.

“I can’t,” Derek replied. “It might be Gary.” He stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

He walked through the dining room and out into the hallway, where the phone sat on
its little stand. “Hello?”

“Get rid of her!” someone shouted, the voice high-pitched. “I know you have that woman
with you!”

Derek pulled the phone away from his ear, grimacing.

“Get rid of her, or she’ll be next.”

“Look, I’m getting damned sick of your threats,” Derek said angrily. “What are you
doing now, following my guests around? How’d you know she was going to be here?”

“I know everything you do, Derek Miller. Just get her out of there!”

“You go to hell,” Derek said quietly, hanging up the phone.

He shook his head in exasperation and headed back into the kitchen. Liza had already
poured the tea and was setting the cups down on the table. She sat and looked up at
him quizzically. Derek realized there was still a look of anger on his face, and he
tried to erase it. But Liza’s concerned expression didn’t fade.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, Liza,” Derek said. “Wrong number. I—uh—hate wrong numbers.”

Liza could tell that he was lying, but she knew that he’d tell
her what had happened if he wanted to do so. She poured a little milk in her tea and
began to stir it. Derek, usually strong and self-assured, looked so pitiful right
now with his swollen eyes and cut lip that Liza wanted to throw her arms around him.
But something made her keep still.

The room was silent, except for the clanking of teaspoons against china cups. Then
suddenly Derek blurted out, “Everything’s wrong!”

“Derek?” There was encouragement in Liza’s voice.

“It isn’t just the fact that Alicen stole that ring,” Derek said. “Liza, something
else happened today. I—I don’t think Melanie is in that hospital by accident!”

“What do you mean?”

“I got a phone call this morning. From some crazed woman who apparently hates the
VanBurens. She told me Melanie would be in an accident today.”

“Derek!”

“Well, not exactly that,” Derek corrected himself, “but she made indirect threats
toward the family and said, ‘Melanie goes first.’ Next thing I know, Saint Joan’s
Hospital in Manhattan was calling me.”

“And then you called the police?”

“No. I was going to,” Derek said, “then I thought that there was no way I could prove
that the woman ever called. I don’t know where to find her, or if she even meant what
she said about Melanie. Maybe she’s just trying to get me upset.”

“Why?” Liza asked. “And who is she, anyway?”

“She told me her name is Janice,” Derek said. “And that’s another reason I don’t want
to mention this to the VanBurens. Melanie had a best friend named Janice who died
violently last year. The similarity in names—”

“I remember you mentioning her at lunch the other day,” Liza interrupted. “But surely
they wouldn’t connect the two! There are a lot of Janices in the world.”

“After that story they told me about ghosts the other night,” Derek said, “I’m inclined
to believe the VanBurens will think anything. This woman is just plain nuts. I met
her a few weeks ago, just after I had moved in. She was hitchhiking on Houston Street,
and she looked lost and lonely. Like an idiot, I gave her a lift. She’s been bothering
me ever since.”